Seventh Grade - ELA
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: The Pearl
Lesson 3
The Pearl
Students correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the "Editing Sentences" activity, practicing editing skills. Students identify strong verbs and vivid adjectives using the Verbs and Adjectives Chart, analyzing word choice to improve writing. Students choose between composing a poem or creating a drawing based on Steinbeck's description, which asks them to try a different expressive approach. Students are directed to consult the Handy Guide to Writing and parents are prompted to review student work, providing some adult support for the activities.
Lesson 4
Related Research
Students choose a focused writing task (a travel brochure or a one-page script for an oral presentation) and gather information through note cards and research, indicating planning and organization. Students are instructed to organize note cards, decide on a logical sequence, and use a brochure outline and folding directions to plan the final product. Students are told the brochure should both provide information and entice visitors, and presentation guidance emphasizes engaging the audience (eye contact, inflection), showing attention to purpose and audience. Parents are asked to review note cards and the final product and to discuss content, delivery, and design choices, providing some adult support.
Lesson 5
Songs
Students are asked in Activity 1 to copy sentences and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, which requires them to edit writing. In Activity 2 students compose the words for a song that must reflect Kino's culture and include stylistic devices, which asks them to plan and produce writing with a specific purpose and audience in mind. The Parent Plan prompts an adult to have the student sing the song and discuss how beat, tempo, rhythm, and words reflect mood and culture, providing adult guidance about purpose and audience.
Lesson 6
For Sale
Students write original sentences in both Option 1 and Option 2 Part II tasks that must begin with a prepositional phrase, contain an appositive phrase, or show prepositional phrases functioning as adjectives/adverbs. Students complete short written responses to reading questions and a brainstorming web listing symbolic meanings of the pearl, requiring them to compose and organize ideas in writing. Parents are instructed to check and review students' sentences and answer keys are provided, indicating adult support during students' writing activities.
Lesson 7
The Attack
Students are asked to develop four discussion questions for Chapter 5 and provide answers, which requires composing targeted written questions and thinking about appropriate question types. In Activity 1, students copy sentences and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, practicing editing at the sentence level. Parent Plan directions instruct parents to look over the questions the child developed and to review suggested sentence corrections, providing adult guidance and feedback.
Lesson 9
Parables
Students practice oral retellings of a selected parable and are instructed to gather their family to tell the story and then ask the audience to explain the lesson the story teaches. Students are asked to "decide on one of the important lessons and think about a different story you could use to teach the lesson," which prompts planning for a new narrative. Parent directions suggest discussing the child's storytelling skills after the retelling, implying adult feedback on performance.
Lesson 10
Writing a Parable
Students plan their parable with pre-writing tasks: they list moral lessons from The Pearl, choose a central lesson, and complete a story map that outlines setting, characters, and plot. Students write a 500–700 word first draft, then use an Editing Symbols guide and an Editing and Revising activity to make corrections and rewrite before producing a typed final copy. Students receive adult guidance: parents are prompted to listen to the described lesson, read drafts, mark edits in a different color, discuss strengths and weaknesses, and help score the work using the provided Parable Rubric. The Parable Rubric explicitly asks about Voice/Word Choice (including whether the story holds the reader's attention) and Content/Organization (including whether the theme is clearly portrayed), directing attention to purpose and audience.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to write speeches defending or prosecuting Kino and to write and rehearse scripts for performance in pairs or small groups, which requires planning text for a particular audience and purpose. Students work with partners on a 2-minute summary script and prepare a mock trial, activities that involve collaborative planning and using evidence from the book. The Parent Plan directs an adult to evaluate completed Think-Tac-Toe activities, discuss what was done well, and provide ideas for improvement, and the skills list emphasizes engaging an audience and using speaking techniques.
Unit 2: A Girl Named Disaster
Lesson 1
Nhamo
Students are assigned the role of Cultural Commentator and instructed to use a journal to record what they learn about culture and characters from the first four chapters, which requires written responses about customs, homes, clothing, beliefs, and food. Students can also choose Option 2 (Mozambique Trivia) and make up ten trivia questions and answers, which requires composing targeted written questions and answers. Option 1 (Mozambique Quilt) asks students to plan and create at least twelve illustrated sections representing aspects of Mozambique over three days, which involves planning and producing a multi-day written/illustrative project. Parents are prompted to have children share the quilt illustrations or read trivia aloud to family, implying some audience awareness and adult involvement.
Lesson 3
A Visit with the Muvuki
Students engage in prewriting through a timed freewriting journal activity where they explore what they like and find challenging about writing. The lesson explicitly lists and explains the parts of the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, proofreading) and asks students to reflect on those parts. Students perform a drafting task by composing four Discussion Director questions for Chapters 8–10 and are prompted to discuss their thinking with a parent.
Lesson 4
Escape
Students are asked in Activity 1 to copy sentences into their journals and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, practicing sentence-level editing. The Parent Plan provides suggested corrections and an answer key, indicating adult guidance and support for the editing activity. As Literary Luminaries, students choose two or three passages, record page numbers, mark the text, read the passages aloud to a parent, and explain their reasons for selecting them, which involves articulating choices to an adult audience.
Lesson 5
Lake Cabora Bassa
Students are asked to use prewriting strategies (brainstorming, freewriting, idea webs, invisible writing) to generate and organize ideas for a personal narrative, and to select the most meaningful event to write about. Students are directed to begin working on a first-person personal narrative that explains a challenge they faced, and to discuss prewriting choices with a parent. Students are instructed to record ideas in a journal and share them with a parent, providing adult guidance during planning.
Lesson 6
Abandoned Farm
Students complete prewriting and organizational activities (the 5 W's chart and the Personal Narrative Story Elements page) to plan their narratives. Students read and 'become a Line Locator,' copying passages and explaining why lines are effective, which practices attention to craft. Students review a detailed Personal Narrative Rubric and are instructed to check that their plans meet rubric criteria; parent check-ins and feedback are specified multiple times, and the text states students will 'continue to develop strategies for and a deeper understanding of the editing and revision process.'
Lesson 7
Baboons
Students are asked to write an 8-10 sentence plaque that "educate[s] museum patrons" about baboon social dynamics, and to create a guidebook with 1-2 sentences per animal aimed at teaching younger children. The lesson's skills section explicitly states creating products for different purposes and audiences. Students must select content, write sentences, and assemble a finished product (cutting, pasting, gluing) for a specified audience.
Lesson 8
Survival
Students are asked to generate and organize ideas and then write a first draft of a personal narrative, with explicit drafting strategies (e.g., focus on expressing ideas, skip every other line for easier editing, try beginning in the middle, record yourself). The Parent Plan and tips instruct students to start strong, use dialogue, sensory details, figurative language, and to write with an engaging voice for readers, which directs attention to purpose and audience. The material also tells students they may write a little at a time and continue to add and change their draft over several days, indicating an iterative writing process.
Lesson 9
The Leopard
Students continue drafting a personal narrative and are instructed to revise their drafts using a revision checklist or by creating one from the rubric. The provided checklist and activities ask students to check organization, content, and style (e.g., introduction that grabs readers, logical plot, word choice, transitions, figurative language) and then make changes to their draft. Students are directed to use revision strategies (put draft aside, read aloud, have a friend or parent read) and to choose specific checklist items to focus on during revision. Parent guidance is explicitly built in: parents are asked to help choose options, explain checklist items, and read or provide feedback.
Lesson 10
A Rude Awakening
Students are asked to plan a postcard or a storyboard, selecting a focus, organizational structure, and point of view (Skills and Option descriptions) and to design scenes that reflect culture, geography, and Nhamo's struggle. Activity 2 directs students to begin or continue revising their draft using a revision checklist and to make changes or rewrites as needed. Parent Plan notes instruct adults to encourage revision, check punctuation (quotation marks, greeting, closing), and review storyboards, providing adult support for editing and strengthening writing.
Lesson 11
Out with the Old
Students practice multiple stages of the writing process: they finish revising using a revision checklist (Activity 1 and 3), type or neatly recopy drafts (Activity 2), and proofread for grammar and punctuation using proofreading symbols and spelling-check tools (Activities 4–6). Students mark errors with standard editing symbols and then make corrections in a printed or electronic copy before submitting a final draft (Activity 7). Adults are explicitly involved: parent sections direct parents to assist with typing, to review revision checklist results, to help with the spelling checker, and to evaluate the final product with a rubric.
Lesson 12
A New Beginning
Students are asked in Part III of the Student Activity Page to identify the four parts of the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, proofreading), to describe prewriting techniques (freewriting, invisible writing, idea web), and to explain the difference between revising and proofreading. Students are directed to review activity pages on editing and revision and to study those skills for the unit test. Students practice their personal narrative aloud, solicit feedback from a parent, and then practice again "taking into consideration the recommendations," which requires them to adjust their presentation for audience and purpose.
Unit 3: The Hobbit
Lesson 2
Trolls
Students copy two incorrect sentences into their journals and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, using parent-provided corrections as guidance (Activity 1). Students write five interview questions for J.R.R. Tolkien and record three things they would share about the future, explaining the reasoning for each item (Option 1). Students read their questions aloud while a parent role-plays Tolkien and are prompted to explain their reasoning, providing oral guidance and support.
Lesson 3
The Elves
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and record descriptions on the "Events of the Journey" and "Setting Map" pages, showing written production. Students complete the "Working with Independent Clauses" activity, combining independent clauses with commas and coordinating conjunctions and correcting punctuation errors. Parents are prompted to check work and discuss examples (e.g., checking foreshadowing and clause use), providing adult guidance and feedback during activities.
Lesson 4
Gollum
Students plan a riddle by choosing a topic, personifying the object, listing associated words, and using a thesaurus to generate synonyms (planning and word-choice practice). Students draft five "I"-statement clues and then revise those clues by changing wording and adding details (revision and rewriting). Students test their riddles on family members and are encouraged to adjust complexity, which engages consideration of audience and invites feedback from peers/adults.
Lesson 5
Wolves, Goblins, and Eagles
Students practice identifying and correcting run-on sentences using explicit examples (fused sentences and comma splices) and step-by-step strategies for fixing them. Students are instructed to find independent clauses in a paragraph, underline clauses with colored pencils, and use editing symbols to insert commas, coordinating conjunctions, periods, and capital letters. Students are given an answer key that shows clause divisions and are directed to vary how they separate clauses, and a Parent Plan describes how adults can review and discuss run-on corrections with the child.
Lesson 6
Skin-Changer
Students copy and correct provided sentences in Activity 1, practicing editing for grammar, spelling, and punctuation with suggested corrections provided for adult feedback. Students draw a sketch and create a model, then write a descriptive paragraph about a new fantastical creature in Activity 2, which requires them to plan (sketch) and compose using figurative language. Parent notes prompt an adult to check the child's use of figurative language and provide a sample summary task that an adult can guide, indicating adult support during writing and reflection.
Lesson 7
Spiders
Students are asked to combine independent clauses into complex or compound sentences in Option 1, practicing revision of sentence structure and punctuation. In Option 2, students are instructed to revise a paragraph to make it flow more smoothly by combining sentences and varying sentence openings, which requires editing and rewriting. The Parent Plan repeatedly directs a parent to choose the option, review the student’s combinations, and ensure the revisions are varied and effective, providing adult guidance and support.
Lesson 8
Elvenking
Students practice editing when they copy sentences and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation in Activity 1. An adult-provided answer key gives model corrections, so students receive guidance from adults on their edits. The Skills section asks students to construct essays/presentations responding to a problem, and the Problem Solving page asks students to plan solutions and weigh pros and cons, which requires planning writing content.
Lesson 9
Men of the Lake
Students practice editing by identifying and correcting sentence fragments in Part I and explaining what was missing in Part II, which requires revising sentence structure. Option 2 asks students to create a six-question quiz for others to take, which requires planning a writing task and considering an audience. Parent directions prompt adult assistance (e.g., choosing an option, helping set up an online account), providing the guidance/support component.
Lesson 10
The Dragon
Students are asked to copy and correct sentences in Activity 1, practicing editing for grammar, spelling, and punctuation with suggested corrections provided in the Parent Plan. Students are asked to write brief chapter summaries and record examples of flashback or foreshadowing on the Events of the Journey page, producing written drafts of understanding. Students complete journal entries for the Greed activity (2–3 sentence descriptions, classifications, and rankings) and are prompted to share findings with a parent, indicating adult involvement in reviewing their work.
Lesson 11
Bard
Students practice revising and editing sentences in multiple activities that require them to fix run-on sentences, insert semicolons, and add transitional expressions (Part I and II; Option 2). Students are instructed to rewrite sentences using different methods, including creating a complex sentence and a sentence containing a semicolon with a transitional expression, which requires them to try a new approach to sentence-level writing. The Parent Plan prompts a parent to ask which option to complete and to review punctuation, indicating some adult-guided support for the exercises.
Lesson 12
The Arkenstone
Students are asked to copy and correct given sentences in the "Editing Sentences" activity, practicing grammar, spelling, and punctuation with provided corrected versions in the Parent Plan. Students must answer comprehension questions in complete sentences (Reading And Questions) and explain elements of the quest cube to a parent, which requires composing explanatory responses about theme and mood. Parent Plan sections prompt adults to discuss students' responses and provide suggested sentence corrections, indicating adult support during writing tasks.
Lesson 13
The Battle
Students are asked to write two- or three-sentence summaries of early literary reviews in their journals, identifying whether the response is positive or negative and noting literary elements. Students are prompted to read their summary aloud to a parent, who is to encourage identification of literary elements and themes (adult guidance). Students complete a grammar 'Quiz Yourself!' with questions on clauses, sentence types, and punctuation, and a parent is asked to check answers and have the student fill in correct answers (practice with editing conventions).
Final Project
Responding to Literature
Students plan their writing using the provided Prewriting Web and the Literary Response Outline, and they are directed to write a rough draft (Day 2) and produce a final typed copy (Part 7). Students revise and edit their work using the Edit and Revise section, an editing-symbols chart, and the rubric in Part 2 to guide improvements. Adult guidance is explicitly built in: parent-plan prompts ask parents to discuss the rubric, review the outline, check the rough draft, and review edits and the final paper. The lesson instructs students about audience and purpose (e.g., do not assume the reader has read the book, use present tense, avoid many "I" statements) so students focus revisions on how well purpose and audience are addressed.
Unit 4: A Single Shard
Lesson 3
Hard Work
Students are asked to plan while reading by underlining key information and writing one to two sentences per pages to guide their summaries. Students practice editing skills by correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the Sentence Correcting activity, with corrected versions provided for reference. Students receive adult guidance when a parent is instructed to have them read their summary aloud, check for unnecessary details or opinions, and confirm the summary answers specific questions about who, what, when, and where.
Lesson 5
The Royal Emissary
Students practice editing mechanics by copying and correcting provided sentences (grammar, spelling, and punctuation). Students plan and write step-by-step directions for making pottery or for something they have made, sequence procedural steps, and are asked to check whether the steps are clear and logically ordered. Parents are prompted to discuss what makes a good question and to assist or choose options, providing adult guidance and support for the writing tasks.
Lesson 7
Opportunity
Students practice editing conventions in the Sentence Correcting activity by copying sentences and correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation, with model corrections provided in the Parent Plan. Students create and write content for Tree-Ear's Mini-Book, recording opportunities and how they benefited Tree-ear, then share the mini-book with a parent. The Parent Plan prompts parents to ask the student to defend answers and provide text evidence, which involves adult-supported discussion of the student's writing and ideas.
Lesson 8
Korean Pottery
Students are asked to rewrite sentences to fix pronoun reference problems (Activity 1: "Directions: Rewrite the following sentences to fix the pronoun reference problems" and the Student Activity Page exercises 1–4). The Parent Plan provides an answer key and prompts parents to discuss the activity with the child, offering adult guidance and review. The "Things to Review" prompt asks the child to produce an example of an unclear antecedent and explain how to fix it, giving additional editing practice.
Lesson 9
Words of Wisdom
Students copy and correct sentences in the "Sentence Correcting" activity, practicing editing for grammar, spelling, and punctuation with model corrections provided in the Parent Plan. Students write interpretations of Crane-man's quotes in their own words on the "Quotes" page and may create a written "words of wisdom" entry to share with a younger child, which asks them to produce writing for a specific audience. Parent Plan directions ask an adult to read and check the student's interpretations and to have the student share and explain their artwork or quote, indicating adult review and support.
Lesson 10
The Fox
Students are asked to type a 1/2 page draft short story with a fox as the central character and to focus on telling the story rather than final mechanics, which gives them a writing task and an explicit draft stage. The lesson prompts students to think about purpose (e.g., "think about the purpose of the story and what it teaches") and to keep the story appropriate to a folktale audience (timeless setting, limited characters). Parent prompts ask an adult to encourage the student to read her story aloud and to ask her to explain the purpose and lesson, providing some guidance and support.
Lesson 11
Relationships
Students copy and correct two provided sentences for grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the "Sentence Correcting" activity, practicing editing. Students write at least two sentences describing Tree-ear's relationships in the "Relationship Web" option (or select words and justify them in "Relationship Words"), producing original writing supported by textual evidence. Parent Plan sections give suggested sentence corrections and prompt parents to ask the child to read and explain his sentences, providing some adult guidance and feedback.
Final Project
Comparison and Contrast Writing
Students plan their writing through guided prewriting and brainstorming (folded four-section sheet) and use structured essay organizers (Options 1 and 2) to outline introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Students write a rough draft (Activity 4), apply editing and revising using an editing-symbols chart and the Handy Guide to Writing (Activity 5), and produce a typed final draft (Activity 8). Students meet with a parent for a revision conference where the parent gives suggestions and checks edits, and the rubric provides criteria for evaluating ideas, support, organization, and mechanics.
Unit 5: Independent Study
Lesson 1
Independent Study Introduction
Students follow a step-by-step checklist that has them develop research questions, find and record sources, and write an argumentative essay, showing explicit planning and drafting actions. Students are given an "Argumentative Essay Rubric" that assesses Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, and Conventions, which prompts attention to purpose and audience. Students prepare a presentation and visual aid and use an "Independent Study Rubric" that includes audience-focused presentation criteria, indicating they will consider how their message reaches an audience.
Lesson 2
Bias and Propaganda
Students are asked to write responses on structured handouts (the "Detecting Bias" handout and the "Propaganda in Advertisements" handout) and to answer questions in a journal about propaganda leaflets, which requires composing explanations about purpose and audience. The activities require students to identify intended audiences and evaluate effectiveness of ads, prompting students to address audience and purpose in their written answers. Parent Plan sections instruct adults to review materials and discuss answers with the child, providing some guidance and support for the writing tasks.
Lesson 3
Starting Your Research
Students brainstorm and narrow controversial topics (Activity 1) and complete a KWM chart to plan what they know, want to know, and why the topic matters. Students form and evaluate essay questions using the "Just Right Questions" criteria and an "Argumentative Essay Question Rubric" to make questions focused, open-ended, and important (Activities 3 and 4). Parents/adults are instructed to discuss topic choices and review and help refine research questions, providing guidance and support throughout topic selection.
Lesson 4
Finding Information
Students are asked to develop 4–5 research questions and 2–3 opposing questions to plan their argumentative essay research, and to choose a note-taking method (gathering grid or note cards) to organize information. Students are directed to find and record at least four different types of resources, complete a Works Cited page, and use stakeholder charts to identify different audiences and perspectives on their topic. Adult support is invoked repeatedly (parent discussions, librarian help, and suggested guidance for evaluating websites), which frames the research and planning process.
Lesson 5
Writing the Essay
Students plan their writing by preparing detailed outlines (Activity 1 and multiple Student Activity Page templates) and are instructed to follow the writing process of outlining, drafting, editing, revising, and publishing. Students write a first draft and then evaluate that draft using an Argumentative Essay Rubric, prioritizing revisions for Ideas and Organization and adding transitions to improve cohesion (Activity 2, Day 2, Activity 4). Students edit and produce a clean final copy, use spelling/grammar checks, and are instructed to ask another person to proofread their essay and to get parent feedback (Activity 5 and multiple Parent Plan sections). The materials explicitly tell students to craft a hook that shows relevance to the audience and list organizing ideas according to purpose and audience in the skills section.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Greek Myths
Lesson 2
The Gods and Goddesses
Students perform a Sentence Editing activity in which they copy a sentence and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Students write short descriptions of gods and goddesses on character cards (Option 2) explaining what each deity rules over and what they are known for. Parent Plan sections instruct parents to check student work and encourage retakes or review, indicating adult support while students complete writing and editing tasks.
Lesson 3
The Stories
Students are asked to copy and correct sentences in Activity 1, practicing editing grammar, spelling, and punctuation with suggested corrections provided. For the acrostic poem option, students are instructed to draft a poem and then produce a final copy on art paper, indicating a draft-to-final writing process. Parent guidance prompts parents to ask the child to explain choices and to check that the poem reflects the chosen god or goddess, providing adult support during the writing.
Lesson 4
Minor Gods, Nymphs, Satyrs, and Centaurs
Students practice editing mechanics in the Sentence Editing activity by copying and correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Students plan writing in the Fire Web brainstorming five uses for fire and then write a descriptive paragraph about life without fire. Students plan and draft a short scripted play, consult a script-format guide, read their script aloud to check clarity for an audience, and may enlist family members to perform, which provides adult support.
Lesson 5
Mortal Descendants of Zeus
Students are asked to use the "Conventions of a Myth: Perseus" activity page to identify a hero, gods, a monster, a problem, and helpers, which provides a planning scaffold for composing a myth. The lesson tells students they will be asked to write their own myth for a final project, linking the activity page directly to a future writing task. The Parent Plan instructs an adult to review the student's activity page against an answer key, indicating an opportunity for adult feedback on the student's planning work.
Lesson 6
Vainglorious Kings
Students are asked to perform a sentence-editing task: they copy given sentences into a journal and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, with suggested corrections provided in the Parent Plan. Students plan and produce extended written products for a specific audience and purpose: they create a comic-book cover based on a Venn-diagram comparison or write a 60–90 second movie-trailer script and are told to make the script "grab their attention". Parent Plan directions prompt adults to have students explain their Venn diagram, share their comic-book cover or movie poster, and read the trailer script aloud to family, indicating adult guidance and support during these writing activities.
Lesson 7
The Trojan War
Students are asked to plan their retelling by choosing to "write out your entire summary, take notes, or make a diagram" and to "decide if you want to retell the story as if it is a play...or...third-person," which requires selecting an approach and organizing content. Students are instructed to "practice the retelling using the figures and props before you make your presentation" and to "use language that will keep [the] audience engaged," which directs attention to audience and purpose. The Parent Plan instructs families to gather to hear the retelling, creating an opportunity for adult-supported presentation.
Final Project
A New Twist on an Ancient Myth
Students engage in planning by listing favorite myths, identifying conventions and themes, and using the "Conventions of a Myth" pages to organize ideas before drafting. Students produce a rough draft (one page then complete the draft), use an explicit rubric to self-assess organization, voice, and conventions, and follow a required word count and story structure. Students edit and revise using an editing symbols reference, conference with a parent to receive feedback, and then type a final copy for publication; the skills list explicitly directs revision after rethinking how well purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed.
Unit 2: Tales from the Middle Ages
Lesson 1
Medieval Times
Students write 3–4 sentence commentaries from the perspectives of a knight, a lord, and a peasant (Activity 2), which requires them to address purpose and audience by adopting distinct voices. Students are instructed to read their commentaries aloud to a parent and use an appropriate tone for each character, and the Parent Plan encourages discussion of the different points of view. The activity also asks students to consider relationships, advantages/disadvantages, and problems in the feudal system as they compose each perspective.
Lesson 4
Special Delivery
Students are asked to combine sentences into compound and complex forms and are invited to "make small additions/changes as needed," which asks them to rewrite and restructure sentences. Students plan and produce a ballad or a comparative Venn-diagram response about a personal memorable event, and they are encouraged to share their song or Venn diagram with family, which addresses audience. Parents are prompted to ask the child to read selected passages aloud and explain choices, providing an occasion for adult-supported reflection on writing choices.
Lesson 5
A Baby
Students are asked to write a conversation between characters from the chapters and to read it aloud to a parent, which provides adult support and an opportunity for feedback. Students complete activities that require converting passive sentences to active (and vice versa), explicitly practicing rewriting sentences to improve voice. The Parent Plan and web activities direct students to try alternate phrasings and to check answers on an online quiz, giving guided opportunities to revise sentence-level writing.
Lesson 6
The Inn
Students practice revising sentences in Activity 1 by combining sets of sentences into compound and then complex sentences, with permission to rearrange and make small additions. The Parent Plan provides adult guidance and model answers for those sentence-combining exercises and asks parents to review and assist. The lesson also directs students to review passive vs. active voice and to use a variety of sentence types, which asks students to edit and vary sentence-level writing.
Lesson 7
An Angel or a Saint
Students practice rewriting sentences in the Sentence Elaboration activity, adding adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, and descriptive clauses to make writing more detailed and engaging. Students compose three sentences after the sheep craft or write explanations in the Livestock and Economics option, producing original prose about medieval animal-human relationships. Parents are asked to check students' rewritten sentences and to have students read passages aloud and discuss selected text, providing some adult feedback and support.
Lesson 8
Newborn Hope
Students practice editing word-choice errors in the "Frequently Confused Words" activity by finding and correcting seven homophone mistakes in a paragraph and composing sentences using correct homophone pairs. The lesson gives proofreading guidance (e.g., search for apostrophes, avoid contractions in formal writing) that students can apply when checking their own writing. The Parent Plan prompts parents to have the child share Connector journal entries and checks the homophone corrections, providing adult support during revision/proofreading.
Lesson 9
Cast of Characters
Students practice editing sentence-level writing by identifying and correcting problems with parallel structure and tense/voice shifts in the Parallelism activity and online tense-consistency exercises. In Option 2 students revise sentences on the "BEING PARALLEL" page and examine pages 17–18 to discuss tense shifts in narrators. Parent Plan notes indicate adults guide the student through corrections and check answers, providing support during these revision/editing tasks.
Lesson 10
Point of View
Students write an initial set of 3–5 short sentences describing an outside object (planning/drafting) and then go back outside to jot additional sensory details they missed. Students re-examine their original sentences to add elaboration and to combine shorter sentences for variety (revising/editing). Students read their revised description aloud to a parent without naming the object so the listener must infer it, engaging awareness of audience. The Parent Plan instructs an adult to confirm that the student added details and sentence variety, providing adult guidance and support during revision.
Lesson 11
Village Life
Students are asked to edit a provided paragraph on the "Spotting Errors" page by crossing out incorrect words and writing correct forms, directly practicing editing for verb tense shifts, passive voice, parallel structures, and homophone errors. Students write sentences using homophone pairs on the "More Homophones" page, practicing word choice and correct usage in context. Parent Plan notes that parents can prompt and guide students while they correct errors, indicating some adult-supported editing practice.
Lesson 12
Glassblowers, Tanners, and Snigglers
Students practice developing and strengthening writing by expanding simple sentences into detailed "painted" sentences (e.g., adding how, when, where, subject descriptors) and by rearranging parts for improved flow. They perform revision and editing tasks labeled as "Move the Painters," "Painted predicate," and "Put on the finishing touches," which directs them to refine wording and check spelling and punctuation. The Parent Plan instructs adults to review the first sentence and provide feedback, indicating students may receive guidance and support while revising.
Final Project
Life in the Middle Ages Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to produce multiple written products (a short story as a medieval queen, a squire description, a monologue to write and perform, a book review, and descriptive writing in Row 3). The plan asks parents to evaluate the product students develop and to help them study and score tests, indicating some adult involvement. Activity 5 explicitly directs students to "practice descriptive writing" and to review prior lessons before composing at least two sensory-rich sentences.
Unit 3: The Prince and the Bard
Lesson 1
Introduction to The Little Prince
Students identify and analyze persuasive techniques by collecting real advertisements and matching them to categories (promises, dares, flattery, glittering generalities). Students write their own persuasive examples in Option 2 and are instructed to "practice writing your own ads and role-play as the creator," which has them compose original persuasive text. Students also write sentences with parentheses and share them with a parent who checks punctuation, providing direct adult involvement during writing activities.
Lesson 3
The Flower and Other Planets
Students choose a persuasion technique and write or ad-lib a 30-second message from the flower to the little prince, focusing on convincing a specific audience (Activity 2). Parents are instructed to watch the performance and check that the chosen persuasive technique is attempted, providing some adult guidance. In the ellipses activities (Option 1 and 2), students cut, omit, and replace sentence fragments with ellipses and reconstruct paragraphs, practicing editing and rewriting to keep passages logical.
Lesson 4
Earth and Other Planets
Students practice editing by copying and correcting provided sentences in Activity 1, directly engaging in sentence-level revision. Students use the "Planet Problem" worksheet to plan and brainstorm solutions for an inhabitant's problem, organizing ideas before writing. Students write one or two letters from specified viewpoints (child and/or adult) to persuade an identified audience and are instructed to share the letter with a parent and discuss persuasion techniques, indicating adult guidance and attention to audience.
Lesson 6
Saying Goodbye
Students practice editing mechanics by copying sentences and correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation in Activity 1. Students plan and compose for a specific audience and purpose by creating a drawing or a poem "from the narrator to the fox" and writing an artist's description explaining the little prince's departure in Activity 2. The Student Activity Page provides guided questions that prompt students to analyze emotions, perspectives, and reasons (planning/prewriting prompts). The Parent Plan instructs parents to discuss the book and to review suggested sentence corrections and suggested content for the persuasive piece, providing adult support.
Lesson 8
Beginning A Midsummer Night's Dream
Students are asked to produce written work in the form of a casting description (Option 2) and complete a structured Student Activity Page with prompts that require planning character information, traits, challenges, and skills. The Parent Plan notes the skill: "Write expository compositions using description, explanation, comparison and contrast, problem and solution," and asks students to show a parent their product and explain their choices, which provides an adult review opportunity.
Lesson 12
Tragic Love
Students plan and draft an interview by writing three questions, locating quotes from the text, and composing answers using the provided "Quotable" page, which supports planning and drafting. Students are instructed to use correct quotation marks and ellipses when incorporating text, which addresses editing mechanics. Students create a persuasive message directed to their parents, select specific persuasive techniques and vocabulary to suit that audience, and share the message with a parent, which focuses attention on purpose and audience.
Final Project
Love Letters
Students plan their essays by taking guided notes on the "Play Cupid" or "Strongest of All" pages and by completing an explicit outlining activity that prompts them to create a thesis and list supporting reasons and evidence. Students are instructed to write a persuasive essay that states a thesis/purpose, explains problems and solutions, includes quotes and evidence, and explicitly frames the thesis as what they want to persuade their audience to agree with. Adults are asked to support students by choosing the scaffold level, reviewing the Classics Rubric with them, and using the rubric to discuss strengths and needed improvements.
Unit 4: Newton at the Center
Lesson 2
Newton and Math
Students are asked to take notes, decide which nonfiction features to note, and decide which information to emphasize in an oral or written summary (Activities 1 and 4). Students write ordered steps for drawing an ellipse or prepare an oral summary and then have a parent follow those directions, providing immediate audience feedback (Making/Explaining Ellipses activities). The lesson instructs students to give a 2-minute oral summary of a page in their own words and asks a parent to check that the student is not simply reading the text aloud, providing adult support and guidance.
Lesson 4
Newton and Motion
Students are instructed to take notes and use index cards to record the actual event and the two characters' perspectives, which shows planning before writing or performance. The "Extra! Extra! Write All About It!" activity asks students to describe the event and write headlines from two different people's points of view, which directs writing aimed at specific audiences/purposes. The lesson repeatedly prompts students to check with and present work to a parent (ask your parent if you should highlight, act out for your parent, share headlines and discuss), indicating adult guidance and support during the task.
Lesson 6
Math and Science Take Flight
Students are asked to take notes and create their own numbered list of instructions on the Demonstrating Lift page based on readings and a web resource, which requires planning and drafting procedural writing. Students must answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and summarize for a parent how an airplane wing works, indicating an intended audience for at least one piece of communication. The parent plan instructs parents to check diagrams and give hints, implying adult support during student work.
Lesson 7
Using Newton's Work
Students plan and research using a K-W-L chart (Activity 3) and choose questions to guide their investigation, showing planning before writing. Students give an oral summary to a parent (Activity 5) and receive parental feedback that they are instructed to use when composing a 1–2 paragraph sidebar about the artist (Activity 6), which constitutes revision based on adult guidance. Students are directed to read back over their sidebar and check for grammar errors and then diagram sentences from the sidebar (Activity 7), demonstrating editing and refinement of their writing. Option 2 in the verb-tenses activity asks students to rewrite sentences in different tenses, which gives practice in rewriting and trying new approaches to phrasing.
Final Project
Lobby for Newton
Students brainstorm using targeted questions about Newton and their town, gather highlights/notes, and create a formal outline (Activity 2 and Activity 3). Students write a rough draft and are instructed to use vocabulary from the unit (Activity 4). Students revise and edit their draft using editing symbols, consult a Technical Writing Rubric to check organization and relevance to local industries, and produce a final copy with parent review and feedback (Activity 7 and rubric descriptions).
Unit 5: British Poetry
Lesson 1
Rhythm and Meter
Students are prompted to write original lines or a stanza using specified vocabulary words in the "Syllables to Stanzas" activity (Option 2), which asks them to compose and mark syllables in their own lines. Students are asked to read their stanza or poem fragment aloud with a parent and to use the provided answer keys, enabling adult checking and support. The Parent Plan lists "Write a poem using poetic techniques such as rhyme scheme or meter," indicating an expectation that students will produce a written poem applying learned poetic techniques.
Lesson 2
Voice and Rhyme
Students choose a theme and brainstorm rhyming words before composing a sonnet-form poem (planning). Students complete a capitalization exercise that requires identifying and correcting errors (editing). Students make a final copy of their poem to publish and read the poem aloud to a parent, explaining topic choices and how the poem reflects their time period (audience awareness and adult involvement). The Parent Plan instructs parents to help pick a topic and to listen, providing a form of adult guidance and support.
Lesson 3
Graphic Elements
Students are directed in the Wrapping Up section to look back at their poem from Lesson 2 and decide whether to change graphic elements to highlight ideas, then reprint or use Wite-Out to alter their original—an explicit instruction to revise and edit their writing. Parent Plan sections tell parents to remind the child about Tennyson's era and to discuss graphic elements and questions, indicating adult support during the activities. Activity 1 asks students to identify and record lines that show specific graphic elements, which gives students analytical evidence to inform revision decisions.
Lesson 4
Figurative Language
Students plan their writing by taking a nature walk, photographing at least five subjects, and making notes on the "Walk Like a Poet" page to generate ideas and metaphors/similes. Students draft a poem using personification and metaphor or simile, consider word connotation while composing, and save the poem for a final project. Students practice editing skills separately by completing a comma quiz and inserting commas in passages, and they read their poem aloud for a parent and discuss the figurative devices used.
Lesson 5
Allusions
Students research contemporary news articles, generate three phrases about chosen stories, and select one phrase to use as the seed for a repetition poem (Activity 1 and Activity 2). Students write the poem using the chosen phrase at least three times, save it for a final project, and stage a photograph to represent the poem, showing planning and multimodal composition (Activity 2 and Activity 3). Parent Plan sections instruct parents to help choose appropriate news sources, assist with local newspaper selection and staging materials, and students read their poem aloud for a parent, indicating adult support during the writing process.
Lesson 6
Tone
Students are instructed to write a first draft of a conversational poem and then "consider how Smith separated the speakers in her poem," which directs them to revise line position to clarify speakers. Students are told to save their poem for a final project and add it to the Conversation page, implying continued development of their work. Students are asked to have a parent read the poem aloud with them, providing adult guidance and support during the revision/performance stage.
Final Project
Autobiography of a Poet
Students are directed to edit the poems they have written, specifically proofreading for capitalization, commas, hyphens, dashes, and colons and to rewrite their autobiography neatly on the About the Poet page. Students brainstorm a title and create cover artwork after re-reading all their poems, then compile the collection and read their poems aloud to their family, which asks them to consider personal style, tone, and how the poems sound to an audience. The Parent Plan and activity instructions explicitly invite parent support (quizzing, help with analysis) during review and preparation.